The present invention relates generally to dialysis systems, and more particularly to a dialysis system having a dialyzer for treating a first fluid, e.g. blood, with dialysis fluid, a receptacle for water, a receptacle for dialysis concentrate, and means for conducting water and dialysis concentrate from these respective receptacles to and through the dialyzer. Further, means are usually provided for heating the dialysis fluid to a specified desired temperature.
Such dialysis systems usually comprise means for heat sterilization. As a rule, these means consist of the ordinary heating elements which are adapted to heating the water in the water receptacle to a higher sterilization temperature than the normal desired temperature during dialysis. The water is then made to flow through the system in a similar manner to the one in which the dialysis liquid is usually conducted. The only difference is that the tubes or lines which normally are connected to the actual dialyzer are connected instead to a "safety by-pass".
It has long been regarded as desirable, however, to sterilize at lower temperatures. It is an object of the present invention to provide an effective system for "cold sterilization" or "chemical sterilization". For practical reasons this term will be used in the following to cover also disinfection, since the difference between sterilization and disinfection is one of degree rather than of kind. The system may also operate at higher temperatures.